Appointments and Resignations
Ambassador from Burundi: Who is Angèle Niyuhire?
Angèle Niyuhire became ambassador of Burundi to the United States in September 2009.
A Tutsi from Uprona, Niyuhire previously served as a Member of Parliament. The 47-year-old official has devoted herself to achieving peace and non-violence ... read more
Director of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA): Who is Regina Dugan?
Sworn in on July 20, 2009, Regina Elvira Dugan is the first female director to lead the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the military’s secretive, high-tech operation responsible for inventing the forerunner to the Internet (AR... read more
Obama Chooses First Male White House Social Secretary
Jeremy Bernard has made history by becoming the first male, and openly gay, social secretary to a U.S. president. Bernard was an early supporter of President Barack Obama and helped raise millions of dollars for his 2008 presidential campaign. H... read more
Ambassador to Jamaica: Who is Pamela Bridgewater?
Pamela E. Bridgewater was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica on October 26, 2010.
Bridgewater was born on April 14, 1947, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The daughter of a jazz trumpeter and a bank teller, she attended Walker-Grant High Sch... read more
SEC Chooses Corporate Lawyer to Handle Whistleblower Tips
Much to the relief of Wall Street, and the frustration of its critics, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has hired a corporate attorney to head the agency’s new whistleblower office.
Sean McKessy, former corporate secretary at AOL... read more
Libya’s Ambassador to the U.S. Resigns: Who is Ali Aujali?
On Tuesday, Libya’s ambassador to the United States announced that he was resigning his post. As recently as the day before, he had said that he would not do so because he was part of the “good side” of the Libyan government. He now joins a grow... read more
Ambassador to The Gambia: Who is Pamela White?
Pamela Ann White is no stranger to Africa. The new ambassador to Gambia has more than 35 years of experience on the continent, most of it with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She was confirmed as ambassador by the Senate o... read more
Acting Comptroller of the Currency: Who is John Walsh?
John Walsh was appointed Acting Comptroller of the Currency on August 15, 2010. In this position he serves as director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and chief executive of the Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), ov... read more
Ambassador from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Who is Mitar Kujundžić?
Mitar Kujundžić has served as ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United States since February 2009.
Born on May 15, 1967, in Sarajevo, Kujundžić studied mechanical engineering in college.
His additional schooling consisted of dipl... read more
Director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service…On Hold: Who is Dan Ashe?
Daniel M. Ashe was nominated as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Dec. 3, 2010. However, Louisiana’s two senators, Republican David Vitter and Democrat Mary Landrieu, have placed a hold on his confirmation to try to force the... read more
Ambassador to Yemen: Who Is Gerald Feierstein?
Gerald M. Feierstein, who has counterterrorism experience, assumed the position of U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, one of the centers of the U.S. counterterror effort, on September 17, 2010.
Born in Philadelphia, Feierstein earned his B.A. in Phil... read more
Ambassador to Sierra Leone: Who is Michael Owen?
Having handled diplomatic duties in countries around the world, Michael S. Owen received his first ambassadorship on the continent of Africa. Owen, a career member of the Foreign Service, took over as ambassador to Sierra Leone on August 16, 201... read more
Acting Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision: Who Is John Bowman?
One of the key agencies regulating the banking industry has had an acting director since March 2009. John E. Bowman became Acting Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) after his predecessor, Scott Polakoff, left the position having ... read more
Ambassador from Cambodia: Who is Heng Hem?
Cambodia’s ambassador to the United States is Heng Hem, a diplomat with more than 30 years of experience working in foreign affairs.
Hem was born in Kampong Cham province on November 8, 1951. He graduated from the Agricultural School of Prek... read more
Ambassador from Egypt: Who is Sameh Shoukry?
A career diplomat whose career has stretched over five decades, Sameh Hassan Shoukry has served as Egypt’s ambassador to the United States since September 24, 2008.
Born in 1952 in Cairo, Shoukry was educated at Ein Shams University, earning... read more
Ambassador to Zambia: Who Is Mark Storella?
Mark C. Storella, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, was sworn in as ambassador to Zambia on August 30, 2010. Zambia has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, and Storella has substantial experience in global public hea... read more